


Gerudo Voe and Hylian Vai

by Blueleaf12



Series: After Link's 100 Year Nap [2]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst, Closeted Trans Man, Gen, Gerudo Culture, Gerudo Town, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Character of Color, Link is the Hero of Time, Questioning, Trans, Trans Male Character, ask to tag, essentialism, greta: ganon explain??? what do you mean voe????, not the Therapist of Genders, questioning gender, straight from my notes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2020-07-30 17:47:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20101171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blueleaf12/pseuds/Blueleaf12
Summary: While in Gerudo Town disguised as a vai, Link finds someone else who feels like they don’t quite belong, either.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is loosely based on my previous BOTW fic, Shield of the Mind’s Eye. It isn’t required to read this one, but this Link is the same in both fics. You should read it anyway if you haven’t already.  
This is also based on my own personal experiences. I’ve been in a gender questioning period for about a month now, and had to project on SOMETHING before I felt like I was gonna combust.

It was Link’s first night in Gerudo Town.

He spent most of the day looking around and chatting up the locals. He had a handful of weird looks (and a few people that outed him at a glance), but overall had no issues.

Link was so keen on talking to everyone he lost track of time. And before he knew it, it was nearly midnight.

He watched from afar as small booths closed for the night, while others remained open. He was debating on staying the night at the Inn as he walked by an unmarked door, one that was normally closed and guarded by a password.

Link wasn’t paying attention at first, until it caught the corner of his eye. He stopped in his tracks and turned his head, unable to mask a stunned expression on his face.

There was Greta, leaning against the wall next to the half open door to her secret shop. Link blinked, almost not recognizing her at first. 

It wasn’t just because she wasn’t looking at him. She was wearing slightly different clothes than the usual, more modern, Gerudo garb; she wore a plain white top, one that went up to her neck. The top matched her pants, which were baggier than normal, and sat higher on her waist. As she turned her head to face Link, he saw her face was bare of makeup, and looked a little shorter than he remembered. One quick glance downwards, and he noticed she was wearing cloth shoes, similar to the ones he wore in town.

As Link got a good look at her face, it was in that moment he noticed how _ scared _ and _ lost _ she looked. Her eyes seemed far away, and looked right through Link. 

They stared right through Link until she noticed he was standing there.

Greta snapped to attention, blinking a few times as she shook her head. “Oh, sav’saaba, Link. I-I didn’t see you there.” She managed a small laugh, but it seemed strained. Forced. She hugged herself, then bit her lip. “Can I… talk to you… inside?”

Link, still stunned, managed a nod. _ Is she _ finally _ going to give me some kind of discount on her clothes? _ He watched Greta look around one last time, and noticed no one looking in their direction, before leading him inside the secret back room. 

As Link crossed over the threshold behind her, she locked it. Link then followed Greta around the corner of the hallway, back to where he was earlier, checking out her clothes for the first time.

The clothes were gone.

Link felt a slight pang of anxiety. Did someone buy them already, before he could even attempt to scavenge up the money!? 

But no, they were still there, just stacked in boxes behind Greta’s counter.

In their place, there was a small table and lounge area set up. A small, controlled cooking fire crackled softly under a vent in the ceiling, nursing a clay kettle. 

“Please, make yourself at home.” Greta said, then paused. “You… may want to sit down for this.” She paused again. “Would you like some tea and hydromelon slices?”

Link, still confused, sat down obediently at the small pillows set up on the floor before the low table. He nodded at her request, then took off the veil that covered his face with a sigh. He nibbled on the hydromelon slices while he watched Greta’s back as she made tea.

She focused more on the kettle while she was talking to him. She asked Link a little about himself, and what he was doing in Gerudo Town disguised as a _ vai _. Link gave a very short, modified version of his story, claiming he was just an adventurer. That wasn’t wrong, per se, but he realized his story was not as important as what was on her mind. He watched her nearly burn herself at least twice while speaking, not that she seemed to notice or care. 

Finally, Greta sat down across from Link and crossed her legs under the table. “I hope you like Cool Safflina tea.” She said. “That was… all I had left.” She paused, watching Link’s expression at the steam that rose from the cup. “I see that look on your face. I know it’s hot to the touch, but it will cool you down as it touches your lips. Give it a try.”

Link took the tiniest sip. The warmth felt nice on his hands, but from the heat of the desert, was unwelcome. As soon as he swallowed the tea, he felt a nice, controlled coldness spread down his chest and up his limbs. 

On his second sip, Link watched Greta wring her hands. She looked everywhere _ but _ Link as Link stared back at her.

“L-Link, I… _ I don’t know if I feel like a _ vai _ anymore _.” Greta blurted out, her words falling out in a rush.

Link was on his third sip when he stopped about halfway from his mouth. He stared at her and blinked. Greta looked away quickly, trying to hide an embarrassed and mortified expression.

Before Link could even attempt to say anything, Greta stood up quickly and stepped away from the table. “L-Link, I’m so sorry, I think the heat of the day got to me, I don’t know what I’m saying.” She said, managing another awkward, forced laugh. “I-I’m so sorry for taking up your precious time. You should go on about your day, I don’t want to keep you. Don’t worry about me.” She gave a forced smile.

Link got up from his pillow and put a hand on her wrist and pulled gently, urging her to sit back down. Her arm didn’t actually move when he did so, but Greta got the hint. She still looked uncertain, but sat down obediently after him.

Greta looked into her own tea instead of Link. She looked a little more at ease. “I don’t… know if I feel like a _ vai _ anymore.” She repeated, the sentence feeling foreign on her tongue. It felt foreign to Link’s ears, too. “It’s… something that I’ve felt at the back of my mind. For a very, very long time. I’ve forgotten for how long. It feels like I’ve had it for as long as I have lived.” She sighed into her drink. “It’s something that I’ve tried to ignore.”

Link was quiet. Mostly to let her talk, but _ mostly _ because he didn’t know what to say. 

“It’s just… seeing a _ voe _ here, passed as a _ vai _, and no one has really noticed… it reminded me of, well… me. But the other way around.

“Gerudo_ voe _ are… rare. I’m sure you’ve heard of that. I’ve heard rumours and myths of one born a long time ago, but no one knows exactly when, who he is, or if…” Her voice went low. “He’s even real.”

In that moment, Link felt a faint memory tug at the back of his brain. Whether it was the Shield of the Mind’s Eye or not, he couldn’t pull anything from it. It felt like an itch he couldn’t quite reach, and one that was invisible.

“I’ve clung onto that story since I was little… I wasn’t exactly sure _ why _ , then. But now… I think I want to be like him.” Greta looked around again, scanning the room. “I want to be that _ voe _.”

Link managed a small, encouraging nod. He forced the imaginary memory itch away. Now was not the time for that. He busied himself with taking another sip of his tea. 

“It’s just… _that would mean I’m not allowed to live here anymore.”_ Greta’s voice grew in fear. It was very strained, and very, _very_ scared. “They would kick me out in an _instant_ if they knew, Link. I’m _terrified._ _Please_ don’t tell anyone.”

Link crossed a hand over his chest, swearing to her. He watched her visibly relax more. “Thank you. It means a lot. It’s just…” She licked her lips. He watched them crack from the heat. “My entire _ world _ is here, Link. My family, my best friend, my work... “ She gestured to the shop. “I can’t leave all this behind. I just _ can’t _.” She hung her head. “I don’t know what to do. I’m just…. Stuck.”

Link reached across the table and patted her forearm in comfort. 

Greta continued to ramble on. “Seeing you here inspired me, Link. That a _ voe _ could be comfortable as a _ vai _ , maybe just in these walls… _ But I don’t know if _ I _ can. _ I don’t know if I _ ever _ will. Because the idea of a gerudo _ voe _ is near impossible.”

She let out a huff, a mix of anger and shame on her face. “Even if… that wasn’t a problem, I still struggle with the idea of _ voe _ . Of the _ voe _ that stand outside our walls, ogling at us as we go about our lives. It’s disgusting. It makes me _ not _ want to be a _ vai _, just so they would stop looking at me and making those comments. All they want is to date us out of lust, not for love. And I don’t want that.”

Link thought back to the two _ voe _ outside of the walls of Gerudo Town, two he had passed on his way in. One that wanted to sneak in, standing in the shadow of the shrine outside of town. The other was the guy that wanted to see the bust of the Eighth Heroine. _ He just wanted those boots. _

“I know how we look, Link. I’m reminded of that every day in the mirror. We are built for this hellscape, and nothing more. Not for their consumption. Not for _ anyone’s _ consumption. But…” She trailed off. “I don’t want to be associated with that kind of _ voe _ , if I decide that I’m not a _ vai _ anymore.” She paused. “Or, to make any other _ vai _, Gerudo or not, uncomfortable.”

Greta gave a small smile. “I see that look on your face, Link. I know _ exactly _ the _ voe _ you are thinking about, lingering outside our walls and running laps in the heat like a madman. You don’t have to do anything about that for me. I would really rather you don’t. I appreciate it, though.”

Link’s shoulders slumped in disappointment.

“Anyway… there’s just… no better way to do this. Either I continue to live here, feeling like I don’t belong and a _ freak _ , or I live somewhere else, as a _ voe _, but still nearly impossible genetically, and that I don’t belong.” Greta gave a bitter smile. “Two sides of the same coin. All leading to feeling isolated and… different.” 

She gestured to herself. “Cutting my hair, not wearing those blasted heels—I’m tall enough already—and not wearing makeup helps. I’ve felt… for a long time, to have a flatter chest. And staring longingly at _ voe _ chests. Hence me making this special shirt.” She gestured to it. “It’s a little hard to breathe with it on in the middle of the hot day, so I can only really wear it at night… and when others aren’t looking. Not even my best friend.”

Link busied himself with another sip of tea. It was starting to go cold in his hands, but it still cooled him off effectively. 

“What helps me the most, though, is selling and making _ voe _ clothing. Trying out new designs that would fit a _ voe _ figure, and making the desert a little easier for them to traverse… _ That _ is my connection to the _ voe _ … even if it is illegal here. No one says anything, of course, but… you know how it is, with those _ vai _that gossip at the Canteen. They come back here to delve into the illegal world, just for the thrill of it. Not to take me seriously.” There was a mix of sadness and shame in her voice. “I know they can’t take all this from me, but it is discouraging.”

Greta watched the expression change on Link’s face again. “I know what you’re thinking again—you’re very easy to read, especially with that veil off your face—but leave them alone. I’d rather not make enemies here.”

Link looked disappointed, but backed off. 

She then gave a more genuine smile, the most genuine smile Link had seen since starting this conversation. “Even through all this, Link, I’m glad that you’re here. I’m glad you can feel safe and comfortable here as a _ vai _ if you want, and my services are helpful to you.” Then, there was a twinge of sadness in her voice, one that would have made Link tear up if he was younger. “Even if it is hard, if not _ impossible _ , for me to be a _ voe _.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said before I probably wasn't going to update soon because of school, but I lied and wrote this anyway. I just love Greta too much, and I have wanted to put a sequel chapter for this story for a while. Please enjoy!
> 
> I finally got all the memories from Zelda, including the secret, hidden thirteenth memory. I was AMAZED but also highly disappointed that it pretty much disproved what I wrote for Scars. But that's okay! I still wanted to cry anyway!
> 
> Kudos, comments, and bookmarks are always welcome!

He wasn't sure how long it was since he last saw Greta.

It was night, just as she liked it; he warped to the shrine just outside of Gerudo Town, changing in the shadow of the shrine away from the two guards. Link's hair stood on end at the sudden cool air and less layers, but it was also a blessing in disguise; he was already SICK of Death Mountain, and he craved the cooler air. 

Link waltzed into town without any issues. It was old hat now, and he was comforted by the large stone walls, and the friendly, (mostly) welcoming vai inside. 

He veered to the left, passing by the clothing stand and Saula standing there. She was in conversation with another Hylian vai who looked dead on her feet at this hour, wearing too heavy clothes for this region covered in sand. 

Link paid them no mind as he skirted around the corner, leading to the inconspicuous door in the wall. He stopped by the door, then raised his fist and knocked. It was a light, gentle knock, one that he knew off by heart. 

There was silence on the other end of the door, then a muffled voice. "You can come in, Link!"

Link stepped inside quickly and shut the door. He pulled his veil off and ran a hand through his hair in attempt to fix it up as he moved around the corner. 

And there was Greta, leaning against the counter, surrounded by the two sets of armour Link saw the first time he met her. They eluded him, and mocked him with their prices. 

He was there to prove them wrong. 

"Good evening, Link." Greta said. She was wearing her special shirt again, which she had modified slightly; it had some jewels and patterns stitched in, similar to the tops the Gerudo usually wore. Her hair was shorter than he remembered; it was more of a buzzed bob with bangs that scooped across her forehead. "How have you been? It's been a while."

Link gave a small shrug. 

"Same stuff, different day?'

Another shrug and a nod. 

"I see." She said. She smiled. "Thank you for putting vah Neboris to rest, by the way. It calms my heart that no one is in danger anymore." 

Link felt a light blush rise on his face, and he wished he kept his veil on. He just dipped his head lightly, as if to say "it was no biggie."

As Link straightened up, he watched Greta's eyes dart to his money bag at his hip, then back to his eyes. "Well then, what can I help you with?"

Link put a finger up, then pointed at the Radiant Armour set. The painted on bones pulsed slightly in the low light. 

"Ah, I see you're interested in my Radiant Armour set. You have a good eye." She said, her lighter smile turning into a smirk. "I saw you eyeing it the last time I saw you. Did you get all the materials and the rupees?"

Link, not breaking eye contact with Greta, reached onto his hip and pulled out the rupee bag. He dropped it on the counter without breaking eye contact. 

Greta raised her eyebrow at him. "You're really sick of the undead, aren't you?"

Link gave a small, exasperated nod. He pulled the Luminous Stones he put aside for her, then dropped it next to the bag of rupees, his gaze not wavering from hers. 

Greta continued to give Link a side eye. "Feel lighter on your feet now, huh?"

Link gave her a light pout. 

Greta's expression changed to a small, semi-apologetic smile as she took the money and stones. "It'll be a well worth investment, don't worry. Those skeletons won't think twice about you."

That perked Link up a little. 

"Now!" Greta said as she clapped her hands together. "I need to measure you, if that's okay. I don't have any of this made yet, but I do have a basic shirt and tights that I will eventually paint. I just need to get your dimensions to take in where is needed."

Link nodded and slipped his bag off his shoulders and put it aside. He took a quick look at the door, then slipped out of the Gerudo Shirwal without a thought.

As he discarded the shirwal, he turned to see Greta staring at him as she held loosely onto a measuring tape and a scrap piece of paper. Even as she tore her eyes away and measured him, he watched her eyes drift back to him when she thought he wasn't looking. 

Sure, Link was used to people staring at him. He was short, and stuck out from everyone. He never talked, and was always doing reckless shit. Not to mention literally everything _else_ about him, but he was used to the stares. 

She first looked at the ancient scar across his abdomen, the faded, blinded Sheikah Eye that was his death scar. As she talked to him about what happened while he was gone, her voice caught briefly in her throat. Her eyes grazed over it like grass, hesitating slightly, before looking away and continuing her one-sided conversation. 

She didn't press, and Link was thankful. 

That was not the only place where Greta stared. 

Link was used to... _other_ people staring at him. Some of the younger travelers he met did double takes as he passed, their eyes taken aback and interested in him. Men and women alike, there was a longing in their eyes for him he could not ever return. It twisted his scarred guts in embarrassment and shame. 

His Zora Armour felt heavy and dirty to wear because of it. 

However... Greta's expression was different. It was a longing, sure, but a _different _kind of longing. It passed over his thin, muscular frame, stopping particularly at his bare chest, before focusing on something else. Her voice faded and broke slightly as she did so, then grew stronger. 

It was a longing to have, not to consume.

And Link was not embarrassed. 

"There, that should do it." Greta said as she jotted the dimensions down on that scrap of paper on the floor. She took his legging dimensions with his pants on. "You can... put your Shirwal back on."

Link turned to do so. Just as he was getting his head through the neck of the shirt, there was a knock at the door. It made him jump and let out a small, wordless gasp as he felt panic bubble inside him.

His eyes snapped to Greta, who looked up from his measurements. She mirrored Link's terrified expression. She opened her mouth, then closed it, no words coming out, until there was a second knock at the door. Before Link could even process the second knock, Greta ducked behind the counter, curling into the tiniest ball she could make. 

"L-Link!" She whisper-hissed as loud as she could. "C-can you answer the door and tell them I'm not here!?"

Link didn't hesitate. He threw his veil back on, nearly forgetting about it, and trudged over to the door. 

As he opened the door, it hit him he hasn't talked in over 100 years. 

He caught the person mid knock. It was Saula, who ran the (legal) clothing stand out front. She seemed to be finished talking to the Hylian vai from earlier. 

Her fist hovered inches in front of Link's nose as he stepped back to fill the doorframe as much as possible. 

Saula blinked, then looked down, seeing someone in the doorway. She looked startled, stepped back, and recovered. However, a look of disappointment hung on her features. "Oh! Hello!" She said, her voice more relaxed than her 'customer service voice' he heard earlier. "I... see you have found this place."

Link gave a small nod but didn't move from his spot. He put his hands on his hips for good measure.

Saula looked over Link's head, unable to see around the corner. From her vantage point, nothing was displayed in Greta's main room. She looked back over her shoulder around the alleyway outside, then back to Link. "I... was looking for Greta. Is she not in?" 

Link shook his head, and still did not move. 

Greta did not make a sound. 

Saula looked troubled. "That's strange. She normally doesn't leave very often without telling me. Do you know where she went?"

Link gave a shrug. 

Saula let out a light huff and shook her head. "I know sometimes she forgets to lock the door behind her properly. She has a special lock for the code, but a different one all together to fully lock up when she isn't here..."

Saula tried to look over Link's head again, and attempted to step into the doorframe, but Link did not move. Saula backed up again. She gave Link a somewhat confused look, hesitating, before backing up further. She checked the time from a small pocket watch in her pocket. "Maybe I'll come back later." She said, putting it back in her pocket. "It's late. I know she likes the night sky, and I can't stray too long from my stall."

Link nodded. All according to plan.

Saula started to walk off, and Link followed. He spared one last glance at the door, before closing it behind him. 

It didn't lock behind him. 

"Sav’orq, Hylian Vai." Saula said with a small wave as they walked back out to the main square in Gerudo Town. "You should spend the night at the Oasis. They will treat you well."

Saula returned to her post. 

Now obligated by social standards, Link trotted over to the Oasis, not feeling at all tired. He gave a quick greeting to the vai running the counter, then exited quickly around the back. 

He looked around, making sure no one was directly looking at him, and scaled the wall, leading back to the desert. He hugged the wall and went the long way around, avoiding the main entrance where Saula was (and other weird stares). 

Link slipped back in through the west entrance. He passed by the elderly vai half asleep, leaning against the small statue of the Goddess Hylia, before slipping quietly into Greta's place. 

He repeated his identifier knock as loud as he dared, then just let himself in. He made sure to lock the door behind him, then skirted around the corner. 

And there was Greta, sitting behind the counter with a semi-blank look on her face and covered in crushed luminous stone dust. Her fingers and lower arms glowed faintly in the low light. Luminous stone dust smeared her face, giving a haphazard, war-paint look.

Tears ran through some of the smears on her face. 

Following the tear tracks through the dust, Link also saw faint traces of runny mascara like the deadly Pools of Malice. 

As she saw Link approach, she wiped her eyes as best as she could, smearing more of the luminous stone dust across her face. "Is she gone?"

Link nodded.

Greta's shoulders slumped, and she hugged herself. "Oh thank goodness." She said. Her voice wavered. "I-I... was so scared... if she... found out."

Link reached over and patted her shoulder in comfort. 

"T-thank you, again. I don't... know what I would do without you. For covering my back. From... seeing me like..." She gestured to herself. "This."

Link gave her a shrug. 

Greta managed a small laugh. It was the smallest laugh he had heard from her, but it was strong. "Something tells me you've seen and done much worse things."

He gave her finger guns in return. 

"Now," she said, clapping her hands together, "why don't I finish your Radiant Armour for you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've actually had the radiant armour for a while compared to where I am in game, but I haven't bought the Desert Gerudo Armour yet. I'm torn between buying it illegally from Greta, or legally from Rhodson.
> 
> As well, I finally bought the DLC! If/when I write about it, I'll put spoiler warnings, so keep your eyes peeled in the future.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for just dropping off the face of the earth; school caught up with me and I kind of ran out of ideas. But now I’m back! This might be the end of Gerudo Voe and Hylian Vai for now, at least until BOTW 2 comes out. If you’re also here for Shield of the Mind’s Eye… I’m still not fully sure where that’s going. I actually haven’t finished the game yet. I’m doing the DLC and then I’ll fight Ganon. So that’s still up in the air.   
Anyway, thank you for all of the kudos over the months! I saw every single one of them! It really made my day seeing a few kudos here and there even months after I last updated. They really help!  
I’m actually working during this upcoming semester, so I might be more active because I won’t have homework really. I’m not sure yet. I’m also working on my own personal writing projects as well that are not fanfiction. If you REALLY like my writing, stick around for my personal stuff! Not… really sure when that’s going to happen, but I do have a twitter link in my bio.   
Happy holidays!

“Greta? This way, please.”

Clutching a bundle to her chest, Greta followed the two guards into a small door carved into the wall. It branched from the main training area in Gerudo Town where other guards and soldiers trained and loitered about. 

Was this door always here?

She couldn’t tell. 

Greta looked around. This was different than the delicately carved hallways and houses that gave Gerudo Town its charm. It was dark; the occasional torch came into view and shone meager light into the darkness. The air was hot and dry, filled to the brim with sand. The walls and ceiling were jagged. 

She didn’t know how far underground she was.

The two guards did not look back at her. However, one, Breta, spoke. “The  _ voe _ likes to blab his mouth. Don’t let him get under your skin.”

Greta blinked. “I-I won’t.” She said, but her voice betrayed her nerves. 

Now was the day. The day she wished for but never thought possible when she first opened that tiny little shop cloaked in shadows.

She would meet  _ him. _

Ganon. 

The three Gerudo eventually reached another door, one that was barred like a prison cell. Breta opened it, let the other two Gerudo in, then closed it behind her. 

Greta stopped and looked around the small room. The floor and ceilings were rock with wisps of sand here and there. Many empty cells lined the walls; the large iron barred doors towered over her tall height. Many more torches lined the walls, giving low, unnatural light. 

Only one was filled. 

And there he was, the Prince of Darkness, Ganon himself. 

He sat on the floor, his back to the barred door. He did not look up or say anything when they entered the room. 

Breta and the other guard let Greta be and gave her some space; they stood their post at the main door they entered, their expressions unreadable. They merely watched, ready to strike when needed. 

Greta approached the cell. Her mouth was dry, drier than she had ever felt before. “Sav’otta.” She said. Her voice came out as a faint whisper, and she cringed. She cleared her throat. “I have your new clothes.” She gestured vaguely to the bundle in her arms. 

Ganon did not reply. His messy, overgrown hair cascaded onto the floor, completely obstructing his back and whatever scraps of clothes that he was already wearing. However, she knew them well. 100 years old or not, she knew  _ exactly _ what it was. 

Not waiting for a response, she slid the clothing bundle through a flap on the bottom of the door, meant for food and water. The flap closed gently as she pulled her hands away. 

Why was she even doing this? Could she even  _ make _ him try on the clothes she made for him? Could she even  _ order _ him around--?

“Are you  _ still _ here?”

Greta blinked, almost not recognizing where the voice came from. It was light, but threatening, shrouded in a 100 year old Gerudo accent. It reminded her of her grandmother. 

Ganon spoke again. “Leave me be.”

Greta swallowed, hard. It hurt like the Scimitar of the Seven, tearing the inside of her throat raw. “No.” She finally said. “I’m still here, and I’m not leaving until you try this on. I need to make sure it fits you. You need to at  _ least  _ be decent.”

Ganon laughed. It was a booming laugh, a mocking laugh, one that tapered off into a weak, dry coughing fit. He turned around, and Greta got a good look at his face. She sucked in a small breath; it was not that much different from her own. “How  _ dare _ you tell me _ no ?” _

“I’m not the one behind bars.” Greta countered, her voice cool, but her heart and blood very much on fire from anxiety. “Where did the splendor of willing to turn yourself into the authorities go? For what you had done? To finally put the legend to rest?”

Ganon didn’t reply. 

Greta raised an eyebrow at him. “Well?”

He muttered something unintelligible, not looking Greta in the eye as he grabbed the clothing bundle. Her heart jumping into her throat, she turned around to give him some privacy. She saw the other two guards do the same. 

Faint swishing of fabric followed for a few seconds. Then, the silence was broken. “So, Greta.” Ganon started. “Why are you  _ really _ here?”

Greta’s heart in her throat dropped back down to her gur, freezing there.  _ How does he know my name? _ She cringed on the inside. “W-what do you mean?”

“That you’re playing tailor for Gerudo Town’s only prisoner in over a hundred years.” Ganon said. “There must be  _ something _ else you’re doing this for.” His voice was that light, almost playful tone, one with malice pooling underneath. 

Even though Ganon could not see her face, she desperately tried to control it and her voice. “It’s just in a day’s work,  _ voe _ .” The word felt heavy on her tongue. Foreign. Like it would tie her tongue up in knots. “Spending generations of… Gerudo in the shadows, selling  _ voe _ clothing without being recognized… It being illegal… it is for my honour. Nothing more.” She paused. “Well, and for the money.”

“I see.” He replied. “No other… selfish reason? Deep within you?”

There was that twinge again, that twinge in her heart. Greta felt her face flush up slightly, embarrassment growing. She watched the other guards shift slightly at their post. “That’s none of your concern.” She finally said. “Are you done changing or not,  _ voe _ ?”

“Changing the subject on me, aren’t you?” Ganon probbed, his voice still antagonistically playful, then dropped back to being neutral. “But yes, I’m done. The three of you can turn around now.”

The three Gerudo pivoted on their heels, turning around to face him. Neither guard said a word, but Greta couldn’t help a small gasp as she stopped dead in her tracks. 

She looked down on Ganon. He was at least half a head shorter than her, even without the blasted heels she gave up wearing so long ago. Ganon stared back at her, head tilted very slightly upwards to match her eyes, his arms crossed over his chest. His old clothes were discarded in a pile on the ground. 

And there was the Desert Voe Armour, now properly worn by a Gerudo  _ voe _ ; Ganon’s spaulder on his shoulder and arm gleamed faintly in the low light. Even from a few feet away, Greta could feel the slight temperature drop from the built in sapphire doing its job against the heat. Ganon discarded the small headband and hair tie Greta offered. 

It was almost  _ better _ than what Greta expected. 

Too bad he was a criminal. 

“What? Like what you see?” Ganon’s antagonizing tone returned again with a smirk. 

Hot rage filled Greta. “ _ Don’t _ talk to me like that.” She snapped, taking a step closer to Ganon’s cell. He visibly took a half step back from her. She quickly changed the subject again before he could say anything more. “How does it feel? Do I need to make any adjustments?”

Ganon looked over himself, even looking at his reflection in a small half empty water pail on the ground. “Not bad.” He said. “I can stand it.”

Before Greta could reply, before she could act on that happiness that overtook her, Ganon abruptly turned back around to face the wall. “That’s it.” He said. “Leave me be. I’m done talking for today.”

Whatever happiness Greta felt dried up like the desert around her. Someone just stabbed her in the chest. She blinked, trying to control her face, but failing miserably. She looked to the other two guards for any support; all they did was shrug.

With a sigh, Greta collected herself. She gathered up the remains of his old clothes, then turned around. “I’ll be back tomorrow.” She insisted, not explaining why, before following the two guards out the door. 

She did not wait for him to reply. 

\---

“So,” Ganon said, leaning against the bars on the iron door after Greta’s return the next day, “ there  _ was _ an ulterior motive for you to see me?” He taunted. “I see now. Just need a little favour, hm?”

Greta ignored his comment. “It’s just… one, small little thing, just… a question.” She took a deep breath. “What is it like… being a voe? Especially a voe… that technically should not exist?”

“You mean…. The legend?” Ganon offered. “I thought you all already knew about it?”

Greta bit her lip. “What I mean is… what is it like…  _ being _ a voe.”

That got Ganon to stop, and he took another look at Greta again, then glanced at the other Gerudo guards. She looked very little like them. She was still a Gerudo, sure, but Greta’s hair was the shortest he had ever seen on a Gerudo; the back was shaved nearly to the scalp, with just the top of her hair long and swooped gently to the side. Her face was bare. She wore a plain top that covered her chest and stomach, unlike the shorter tops the other guards wore. 

It was nothing he had ever seen before. 

He saw the look on her face, the look of longing in her eyes, longing for the information he would tell her. And Ganon felt his heart shift a little. Some of the armour he wore around himself metaphorically lifting. “I never really thought about it much before… I barely remember my childhood. Y’know, it happening over a hundred years ago and all.” He crossed his arms, as if attempting to protect himself all over again. 

“But I do have a lot of… emotions, I remember from my childhood. I don’t really remember where they came from, but… they were there. Feelings of anger, of betrayal, of isolation, of staring longingly at Gerudo Town from afar, but not being able to enter.”

He fell silent, seemingly weighing his options. “I had a sister… one that we had to leave behind. I was born outside of Gerudo Town, at the stable on the outskirts of the desert… I didn’t know about Gerudo Town and its rules until I was a teen.” He trailed off. “The rest is history.”

_ His sister would be long dead by now. _ Greta thought. “People didn’t… treat you differently?” She asked; her voice was light, but probing. 

Ganon thought back more. “We moved around a lot… we never stayed in one spot for too long. Didn’t talk much to the locals… but yeah, they gave me weird looks. No one said much, but… I think my father took care of that.”

He then saw the look on Greta’s face; she looked sad, but also… hurt slightly. Ganon stopped. “...This isn’t what you want to hear, isn’t it? You’re not here for my sob story; what are you  _ really _ here for?”

Greta looked down at her feet. “I don’t… know if I want to be a vai anymore. I want to be a voe.”

Ganon stood there, taken aback. He desperately scanned her face, looking for some sort of gleam in her eye if this was a joke. But no, her gaze was as clear as day, full of terror and confusion. He heard the other two guards gasp slightly behind Greta and look between each other. 

“I… we’ve barely known each other, and you’re telling me… you want this life? This… life of isolation? Of a life that technically should not exist?” Ganon asked, his voice deliberate and careful. 

Greta felt Breta and the other guard staring holes into her back, threatening to burn holes in her clothes. “That’s the  _ exact _ fear I feel. Being kicked out of the Town… leaving behind my best friend and what’s left of my family… being  _ alone _ and  _ different _ … It kills me. 

“But I also can’t live like this, life as a  _ vai _ .” She looked up to meet his gaze. “This is… the true reason why I wanted to meet you, to see you in the flesh with my own eyes. As the only Gerudo Voe in existence… I need to know.”

Ganon leaned against one wall of his cell, his eyes closed and arms crossed over his chest.

“Get me a Noble Pursuit.” He said. “Then we’ll talk.”

**Author's Note:**

> Going from Nanny Ashtoreth in Good Omens, a male presenting demon now presenting as a woman and NO ONE batting an eye about it, to Link in Gerudo Town who was constantly outed, gave me whiplash. Not to mention insane essentialism, as much as I love the Gerudo. 
> 
> I did the Eighth Heroine and Forgotten Sword quests after writing this, and just  
Bozai: I want to burn the image of your boot-loving self into my retinas!  
Link, holding the Shield of the Mind’s Eye over his head: (YOUR LIFE ENDS THREE SECONDS FROM NOW)


End file.
